Conferences and workshops agenda

Awards

Established designers and rising talents

Itineraries

Thematic selection of exhibitors

Services

Dedicated areas to retail outlets and specifiers

FEDERICA BIASI, THE ESSENCE OF POETRY

11.30.17

Right from the start, architect and designer Andrea Branzi was won over by this young woman’s subtle, emotional and poetic approach as she celebrates in her own way the excellence of Italian craftsmanship.

What is your relationship with Andrea Branzi, your mentor?

Federica Biasi: He’s the master and I’m the student. Even though we don’t actually know each other personally, I’ve studied his work, I’ve seen his exhibitions, I’ve followed classes he gave. The fact that he picked me makes me feel very proud. I have immense respect for his work. I have even noticed some similarities in the way each of us approaches a project. I remember he once referenced Oscar Wilde in an interview: “We live in a time when the only necessity we have is for the superfluous.” Or when he said: “All great human societies have developed by investing the greater part of their energy into seemingly superfluous fields such as art, music, poetry, beauty.” My approach to design is much more emotional than functional. In the world we live in, where there is never time for anything and we are growing increasingly jaded and unfeeling, I am attempting to reconnect with our human nature. I feel this is really what Andrea Branzi and I have in common.

What are your expectations for this edition of MAISON&OBJET?

FB: I am hoping I’ll discover something that will leave me completely dumbstruck, something that has never been posted to Pinterest or Instagram. I need to see fresh new concepts. But most importantly, I truly wish all the big design brands, the leaders on the market, would start supporting younger designers, the same way that the MAISON&OBJET Rising Talent Awards are giving us a chance to express ourselves. We should all feel grateful for this opportunity, which I hope heralds major shifts in the industry.